New Delhi: Apple Inc is expected to unveil a mixed-reality headset at its annual software developer conference on Monday, its first major step into a new product category since the introduction of the Apple Watch nine years ago.
The launch will see Apple test a market filled with devices that have yet to gain traction with consumers and put it in direct competition with the Facebook-owned Meta platform.
Like last year’s Meta’s Quest Pro and the Quest 3 announced last week, Apple’s device is likely to combine a video feed from the outside world with the virtual world displayed on a screen inside the headset.
Analysts expect Apple’s headset to come with high-quality displays and premium features including hand-tracking so that it can be controlled without an external controller. It’s also likely to cost a lot more than the planned $500 Quest 3.
Investors and tech fans alike will be focusing on how much Apple’s approach to the virtual reality market lines up with the meta. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has outlined his vision for using the headset to dip in and out of the “metaverse,” where people can meet virtually to work, play and spend time.
Besides Meta, Sony Group Corp and ByteDance-owned Pico have both recently released virtual reality devices.
Research firm IDC said companies sold a total of 8.8 million headsets last year, down 20.9 percent from 2021. Sales more than halve in the first quarter of 2023.
Apple’s presentation on Monday aims to spark the imaginations of the thousands of software developers who will stream into Apple Park for the keynote speech at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (1700 GMT).
Apple will also provide updates to its operating system for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
Investors will also look for updates to CarPlay, Apple’s software for vehicles that the company said last year would begin powering more dashboard functions.